Phosphatidylcholine - Mg2+ equilibria in a monolayer at the air/water interface

Abstract The interaction between Mg2+ and a phosphatidylcholine (lecithin, L) monolayer at the air/water interface was investigated. Surface tension measurements (Langmuir method) of phosphatidylcholine monolayers as a function of Mg2+ concentration were carried out at 22°C using a Teflon trough and a Nima 9000 tensiometer. Interactions between phosphatidylcholine and Mg2+ result in significant deviations from additivity. An equilibrium theory was developed to obtain the stability constants and areas occupied by one molecule of LMg+ and L2Mg. The stability constants were K 1 = 9.95×102 m2 mol−1 and K 2 = 3.87×104 m2 mol−1. The area occupied by LMg+ is 77 Å2 molecule−1, while that occupied by L2Mg is 109 Å2 molecule−1. The Gibbs free energies of complexation for LMg+ and L2Mg are −16.91 ± 0.51 and −25.88 ± 0.76 kJ mol−1. Graphical abstract [...]